Hyperion RPC vol.76 Scholz & Rheinberger

[Gareth Vaughan]

It is certainly true that the chamber music medium seems to bring out the best in some composers. I often feel that some of Raff's finest compositions can be found in his chamber music, for example.

[Mark Thomas]

Off topic, I know, but you're absolutely right about Raff, Gareth. Not only fine quality, but of consistently fine quality too unlike, say, the symphonies.

[eschiss1]

And Rheinberger's string quintet- for example- seems a more taut and memorable piece of work than such orchestral works of his I know, though the F major symphony for instance was worth reviving (and I recall enjoying the piano concerto and expect I will again next I hear it.)

[Alan Howe]

Rheinberger's chamber music is choc full of gems. If folk can afford the Thorofon box, they will discover delight after delight.

[Revilod]

I'm also a bit disappointed with the Scholz concerto but the Rheinberger (a really superb piece) gets a very fine performance in my view....certainly not lacking in dynamism, surely, and a punchy recording too. The ochestra is streets ahead of the Nurnberg  Symphony Orchestra. I'm not too impressed with the waffly booklet note, though. At one point it confuses the two composers crediting Scholz with the twenty organ sonatas which Rheinberger wrote.

[Alan Howe]

Oh, that's good to know (about the Rheinberger, I mean). Looking forward to receiving my copy.

[Gareth Vaughan]

At one point it confuses the two composers crediting Scholz with the twenty organ sonatas which Rheinberger wrote.

I have just read through the booklet PDF online at Hyperion Records and can find no mention of Rheinberger's organ sonatas at all, much less confusion of the two composers. Does the text of the physical booklet differ from that of the online PDF? Or am I going crazy?! - not impossible!!!

[eschiss1]

Maybe they fixed it...

[Revilod]

It says in the printed booklet (P.3) :

"Indeed, Scholz worked assiduously to promote Brahms and, in common with that composer, his chamber music is among the highlights of his output. He composed twenty organ sonatas..."

They must have spotted this error and corrected the PDF booklet.

[Alan Howe]

Oh dear. Shows the need for careful proof-reading.

[Mark Thomas]

I've just listened to the Rheinberger Piano Concerto and I must say that it's a rather better performance than I feared. To be sure Callaghan doesn't quite have Ruiz' fire, but he does bring out the score's lyricism effectively and the orchestral contribution is 100% better than the Nürnberg Sinfoniker's was.

[Mark Thomas]

Although for much of the time the orchestra is superfluous, to my surprise I rather enjoyed Scholz' short Capriccio for piano and orchestra, which seems a more focused and atmospheric piece than the Piano Concerto. That said, the slow movement of the latter has grown on me with repeated hearings and certainly is a lovely piece. I'd like to say that I think better of the outer movements too, but I'm afraid that I don't much - they still teeter on the brink of triteness.

[eschiss1]

I keep asserting nothing else substantial by Scholz is recorded (or assuming it). As I seem to have forgotten, ...

String Quartet no.1 Op.46 as played by Steve's Bedroom Band is not a complete string quartet performance, but at least it means 3 works of his can be heard.

Edit: Op.40 No.2 "Trotzkopf" for piano, in a 1997 performance accompanying a 2001 book... the only other listed offhand seems to have a song by Meyer-Helmund to a text by Scholz?

[Alan Howe]

I certainly wouldn't make any great claims for the Scholz, but found myself enjoying it rather more than Mark T. I do feel, though, that more dynamic advocacy might have made the piece really take off - after all it has plenty of tunes, yet the opportunities to 'dig into' the juicier moments seem to me to pass by without much being made of them. For example, the orchestra in the first movement tends to 'sit down' on the repeated 'rum-ti-tum' rhythmic motif instead of leading the ear on. It all sounds a bit laboured and careful. Fortunately the slow movement and the spirited finale sound much more engaged - and, therefore, engaging. We'll never get another recording and - don't get me wrong - this is a fine performance overall; however, I think it could have been even better.

[Alan Howe]

...the Rheinberger is given a fine performance, sounding much more energised, especially in the first movement. I'd say it's as near definitive as we're likely to get.